Reflection paper-PHILOSOPHY

Please write a 1500 word response to the  article found in the last chapter of the textbook, Competing Visions:

How--and How Not--to Love Mankind.

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH PAPER, SO DO NOT USE ANY OUTSIDE SOURCES OTHER THAN THE DALRYMPLE ARTICLE AND TEXTBOOK, WHICH YOU WILL CITE USING MLA FORMAT. This assignment is designed to test the ability to comprehend, explain, analyze, and evaluate a philosophic essay of college-level difficulty. This is all about YOU wrestling with a difficult text and ascertaining its meaning in addition to articulating and defending your own position on the issues discussed in your chosen Dalrymple article. 

FOR THE ARTICLE YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE ON, you will type a 1500 word response in which you address EACH of the following points IN YOUR OWN WORDS: 1) What is the author's main argument? 2) How does he support his main argument (evidence, ancillary arguments, etc.)? 3) Do you agree or disagree with him? 4) Why or why not? 5) Apply the insights of at least two of the readings we have studied in this course (in chapters 1-10) to your analysis. Make sure to explain how the philosophers' insights are relevant to the topic you are discussing.

Please use MLA format.

Your paper will be graded according to the following rubric:

1. The essay demonstrates an understanding of the material: The student has correctly grasped a philosophical problem or question, has explained it accurately, and on the basis of a substantially correct interpretation of any texts involved. Key terms are used correctly. The essay shows evidence of the student's independent thought and is written in his or her distinctive voice. Short (one sentence) quotations are used, when appropriate, to support the writer's analysis, and an explanation is offered for each quotation. No more than 10% of paper is made up of direct quotes. Block quotations will result in a severe point deduction.

2. The essay has a clear and coherent argument: There is a clearly stated thesis and support for this thesis in the body of the paper. Each paragraph contributes to this argument and follows logically from the paragraph before it. The argument presented is persuasive. The insights of two other philosophers are incorporated into the analysis.

3. Essay fulfills assigned task: The essay addresses the entire assigned question or topic, elaborating on important ideas in satisfactory depth, but without bringing in anything extraneous or irrelevant. The introduction of the essay focuses and provides clarity for the paper. Important terms are clearly and accurately defined. Each paragraph conveys a coherent, organized thought. Short (one sentence) quotations are occasionally used, when appropriate, to support the writer's analysis, and an explanation is offered for each quotation. No block quotations. 

4. Essay obeys standards for good persuasive writing: the writer shows that he or she is comfortable using philosophical language, and the prose is clear, not awkward. The structure of the sentences reflects the relationships between/among the ideas discussed. 

5. The essay is technically correct: The essay has been carefully and thoughtfully proofread. The argument is written in complete sentences, with punctuation that does not mislead the reader. There are no mistakes in spelling, grammar, word choice, and punctuation.